2014 Recipients

Faisal Mohmand
Faisal graduated from James Logan High School. His family immigrated to the United States from Afghanistan and despite the demands on his time between work and school, Faisal has excelled with a full load of AP and honors classes. Faisal joined the Puente program at his school, which is an academic readiness program for first generation college students. He rose to a position on the board and personally undertook the effort to raise the funds to help finance a Junior SoCal College Tour for 40 participants in the program. Faisal will be studying biology UC Berkeley and plans to become a pediatrician.

Olivia Ajiake
Olivia graduated from John F. Kennedy high school in Fremont. She has been active in the YMCA Youth and Government Program and was given the honorary title of statewide chaplain and the opportunity to speak in front of 3000 young Californians. In high school she was chosen for the Peer Advocate Team where “her sharp insights into human nature and her relaxed and thoughtful leadership style made her a beacon of inspiration with her peers and teachers”, as stated by her Peer Resources Coordinator. Olivia will attend Rutgers University where she plans on studying psychology and sociology.

Elijah Stevenson
Elijah graduated from James Logan High School where he distinguished himself as a scholar, fierce debater, athlete, and leader among the African-American boys whom he mentored at the school. He was the president of the Premed club, participated in the Washington Hospitals Medical Explorers program and had the honor of doing an internship at Stanford University in biochemistry. Elijah will be enrolled at the University of San Francisco studying biology and chemistry.

Kayla Tabb
Kayla graduated from Newark Memorial High School in the top 1% of her high school with a 4.4 academic GPA. She tutors and mentors other students, competed on the speech and debate team, plays the violin, and is president of the Young Engineers and Scientists club. Kayla will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where the Dean of Admissions told Kayla that she stood out as one of the most talented and promising students in one of the most competitive applicant pools in the history of the Institute.

Aaliyah Douglas
Aaliyah is a Reynolds scholar and a graduate of Oakland Technical High School where she has been enrolled in the engineering Academy, which offers a rigorous curriculum of honors and AP physics, mechanics, advanced mathematics, and graphic studies including training on CAD programs. Aside from winning numerous awards for her projects in the Academy, Aaliyah is a gifted athlete playing on the varsity volleyball team and competing on the track team. She was a member of the international travel “Team Oakland” that traveled as a delegation representing the City of Oakland to Paris and in Athens where she metaled in the 400 and 800-meter dash. Aaliyah is headed to Berkeley where she plans to study structural engineering.

Monte Metal
Monte graduated from Berkeley High School with an unweighted 3.98 grade average with straight A’s in every class. Monte was a volunteer and leader in the STEM Community for the Math Engineering Science and Achievement at Hartnell College. There he spent his summers tutoring students in calculus and assisting professors building experimental robots, turbines, and solar panels. He also plays the saxophone as well as the clarinet and piano, and is part of the Young Musicians Program in the community that performs for fundraisers at galas and fares to help the nonprofit organization. Monte has been accepted to the Columbia school of engineering and applied science in New York.

James Dreffs
James is one of the 2% of Boy Scouts to achieve the rank of Eagle Scout. He demonstrates self-control, hard work, leadership ability, and courage that the highest level of scouting demands. That level of discipline is also reflected academically and on the athletic field. James is a 4.0 student having taken a full load of honors and AP courses. He is a five-time scholar athlete for both football and volleyball, and will be studying communications and marketing at UC San Diego.

Michelle Timm
Michelle is a graduate from Tri Valley High School where she was the only female player on their ice hockey team. Michelle’s teachers viewed her as a great example for future students, as well as the 2014 school year’s ideal student. They also stated that she is “in a category all by herself.” Michelle will be attending UC Davis where she plans to study political science.

Sandi Kaur
Sandi graduated number one out of 423 students at Newark Memorial high school. Her family is from the Punjab in India, which inspired her to volunteer her services with the Sahaita Foundation that runs children’s health clinics and vocational training camps in India. Sandi also found the time to compete throughout her high school career on the varsity basketball team and the varsity volleyball team.

David Posner
David graduated from Newark Memorial High School with intentions of becoming a doctor and joining Doctors without Borders. This could stem from the fact that David lived in Mexico until his junior year in high school. As an elementary school student he experienced firsthand the indignities visited on the poor in villages not far from his home. David is the first Coliseum scholar that will attend Siena College in upstate New York.

Caroline Desler
Caroline graduated from the Bishop O’Dowd High School where she competed on the debate team, served as an officer of the national Charity league, and was president of the O’Dowd chapter of the National Honor Society. She spearheaded a program at O’Dowd called “bridging the gap” a personal initiative of hers to address the isolation that she noticed in the group of international students at O’Dowd. She has also been a competitive athlete in soccer, basketball, volleyball and now rugby. Caroline will attend UCLA to study molecular, cell, and developmental biology.